Temperatures will be in the 90s again in Central Maryland today; Baltimore’s Code Red Heat Alert continues, and the state’s Department of the Environment has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Alert. A deal in the Senate means that former MD Labor Secretary Tom Perez’s appointment to head the US Labor Department will soon get a confirmation vote. Democratic Montgomery County Delegate Heather Mizeur plans to formally enter the 2014 Governor’s race. Harford County Executive – and GOP Gubernatorial Candidate – David Craig formally announced yesterday that he’s chosen Eastern Shore Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio as his running mate. Plus: Harbor Point, cell phone taxes, an expansion of Anne Arundel County’s library system, and more.
Heat Wave Continues: Another hot day is in store for Central Maryland, with highs in the 90s and heat index values around 100 degrees. Yesterday, some folks in the Baltimore area had a tougher time than others – because of power outages that hit thousands of BGE customers in Canton and Fells Point, as reported here by the Baltimore Sun. Power companies and grid operators say that there’s enough electricity to keep lights on in the nation’s Northeast with the current heat wave expected to continue through the weekend. Even so, electric companies are asking their customers to conserve electricity by turning off unnecessary lights and appliances, and using dishwashers and doing laundry either early in the morning or after eight at night. In Baltimore, folks without conditioning can go to the city’s cooling centers; it’s another Code Red Heat Alert day, and those centers will open at 9am. You can find out where they are by calling 311 or checking out this link. Counties around the city say you can visit senior centers or public libraries to beat the heat. And the Maryland Department of the Environment has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Alert for today, with air pollution concentrations considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Perez Headed For Confirmation Vote: Former Maryland Labor Secretary Tom Perez’s appointment to head the US Labor Department finally appears set to get a confirmation vote. President Barack Obama nominated Perez to the post back in March, but Republicans in the Senate had had blocked vote. A deal made yesterday between Senate Democrats and Republicans means that Perez and 4 other nominees will get a confirmation vote this week… and Senator Ben Cardin tells the Baltimore Sun that Perez will be confirmed.
Mizeur To Formally Enter 2014 Governor’s Race: Montgomery County Delegate Heather Mizeur is expected to announce today that she is running for Governor. She’ll be the second Democrat to formally launch a campaign. If Mizeur is elected, the Washington Post reports that she would be the first woman governor of Maryland and the first openly gay governor in the country. The Baltimore Sun has more here.
Craig Formally Makes Haddaway-Riccio His Running Mate: Harford County Executive – and GOP Gubernatorial Candidate – David Craig formally announced yesterday that he’s chosen Eastern Shore Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio as his running mate. Craig tells the Washington Post that Haddaway-Riccio is an able leader who would be capable of being governor on day one. There’s more here from the Daily Times and more here from the Baltimore Sun.
Harris On Zimmerman Acquittal: 1st District Congressman Andy Harris is getting attention for comments he made yesterday about George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. Speaking on WMAL radio, Representative Harris said that people who are paying attention to the verdict should “get over it” – the Baltimore Sun reports that his comments seemed as much aimed at the media as those who watched the trial. Zimmerman’s acquittal has sparked protests around the country.
Harris’s Fundraising: Congressman Harris is also in the news this morning for the money he’s been raising. The Daily Times reports that Harris has received more than $100-thousand from political action committees in the second quarter this year… that’s nearly twice as much as he raised in the comparable second quarter of 2011. The Times says that the uptick in donations appears connected to Harris’s appointment in February to the House Appropriations Committee.
Hiring For Harbor Point Development: Baltimore officials are promising that the proposed Harbor Point development will bring thousands of jobs to the city. But how many of those jobs will go to Baltimoreans remains to be seen. WYPR’s Kenneth Burns has more. A protest is planned before tonight’s hearing on “tax increment financing” for Harbor Point; the Fair Development Campaign tells the Baltimore Sun that it’s set to demonstrate in front of City Hall at 4 this afternoon; the meeting on financing the development will take place at 5.
A Profile Of Senator Barbara Mikulski: WYPR’s Fraser Smith and Jill Lawrence of National Journal talk about Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski’s ability to work across the aisle, and her role as a leader among the Senate’s 20 female members. It’s today’s edition of Inside Maryland Politics.
White To Plead Guilty In Prison Corruption Case: Reputed leader of the Black Guerilla Family prison gang Tavon White is apparently ready to plead guilty to a single racketeering charge related to a widespread smuggling operation at the Baltimore City Detention Center. As the Baltimore Sun notes, White is accused of heading up a smuggling ring that brought drugs and cell phones into the city jail with the help of 13 corrections officers, who were indicted earlier this year.
Cell Phone Tax Rates: Marylanders pay more taxes on their cell phones than folks in most other parts of the country. A newly released study by the Washington-based Tax Foundation – detailed here by marylandreporter.com – shows that between, federal, state, and local taxes Marylanders paid higher tax rates on their mobile phones than folks in 38 states.
AA Schools Get $20k Due To Maxwell’s Departure: The Anne Arundel County Public School system is getting $20-thousand… because outgoing Superintendent Kevin Maxwell is leaving the post without giving the three months’ notice required in his contract. Maxwell is headed to Prince George’s County to head up that jurisdiction’s school system; the PG Board of Education tells the Capital Gazette that it’ll pay $15-thousand of the penalty… the remaining $5k will come from annual leave that Anne Arundel owes Maxwell. The Anne Arundel County school board has given itself a deadline of the end of the month to find a replacement.
AA Library Expansion: The Anne Arundel County public library system is extending hours and adding dozens of new staff members. The Capital Gazette reports that hiring starts next week. And starting next year, two more county libraries will now be open on Sundays, and the other 10 libraries will be open an extra 20 hours a week.